This invention relates generally to agricultural balers and to feeder mechanisms for such balers.
A conventional type of baler includes a bale case extending fore-and-aft in the direction of travel of the baler, a reciprocating plunger in the bale case, a feed table or platform extending laterally of the baler from the bale case, a pick-up mechanism in front of the feed platform, and feeder means above the feed platform. The pick-up mechanism lifts crop material from the ground and deposits it on the feed platform. The feeder means then conveys the crop material across the feed platform into the bale case where it is compressed into bales by the plunger and automatically tied.
The feeder means disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,044,243 and 3,367,094 includes a first feeder mechanism which moves crop material across the feed platform toward the bale case and a second feeder mechanism which delivers the crop material from the feed platform into the bale case. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,243, the first feeder mechanism is comprised of rotating fingers and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,094, the first feeder mechanism is comprised of a rotating auger. The second feeder mechanisms disclosed in the above-mentioned patents are comprised of fingers oscillating laterally of the baler. One drawback of this type of second feeder mechanism is that the oscillating motion of the fingers causes an undesirable amount of vibration in the baler, especially when the mechanism is operated at high speeds. Another drawback of this type of second feeder mechanism is that the linkages used to support the oscillating fingers usually result in a baler of excessive overall height.